wotherspoon



W. W. WOTHERSPOON.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING COMPARTIVIENTS WITH GAS, &C-

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. 1913,. RENEWED JAN. 11.1919.

Patented; Aug. 5, 1919.

tit

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dug. a, 1919;.

Application filed luctoher 3, 1913, Serial No. 793,137. Renewed January 11, 1919. Serial No. 270,750.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l[, WILLIAM WALLACE TVOTHERSPOON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Apparatus for Charging Compartments.

with Gas, &c., of which the following is a s ecification, reference being had therein to t e accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating closed compartments, more particularly for extinguishing fires therein, although the apparatus may be used for ventilating the compartment, fumigating the same, or introducing air under pressure therein. The apparatus is designed with the special view to the treatment of the compartments of a ship, and the invention consists in a system of piping leading to the several compartments which piping is connected with means of improved form and construction, whereby either a fire extinguishing gas or air may be introduced under pressure at will into the compartments, or either extinguishing gas or air may be circulated through said compartments at will.

In its preferred form of embodiment as adapted particularly for application to the water-tight compartments of ships holds, my invention comprises a compressor, a source of fire extinguishing gas such as a gas generator, which is connected with the intake side of the compressor, distributing pipes connected with the discharge side of the compressor and leading to the several compartments, exhaust pipes also connected with the discharge side of the compressor and leading from the several compartments and open to the atmosphere, and connected with the intake side of the compressor, and suitable valves so disposed in said pipes and connections that 'by the adjustment of said valves in difierent relations to each other, either extinguishing gas or air may be forced into the compartments, or the gas may be circulated through the compartments, or air may be circulated therethrough to expel the gas and ventilate the compartments.

The drawing is a transverse section through a ships hold showing my improved apparatus applied thereto.

A represents a ships hold which is provided with four series or tiers of compartments, 1b, 3c

and 4t, 4:, at, 4, which series are superposed distributing pipes lead to and are connected with a distributing manifold 7, the pipes being provided between the manifold and their discharge ends, with suitable cut-ofl' valves 8. The exhaust pipes 6 lead to and are connected with an exhaust-manifold ,9 and these pipes, like the distributing pipes, are provided with suitable cut-off valves 10. 11 designates a compressor which may be of any suitable form and construction which will draw in air orgas at its intake side, compress the same, and discharge it under pressure from its discharge side. Leading fromthe intake side of the compressor is a pipe or funnel 12, which communicates with the atmosphere, the said communication being controlled by a cut-0d valve 13, applied in said pipe. 14 indicates a source of fire extinguishing gas, in the present instance in the form of a generator or furnace adapted to generate a gas of such character as to bee non-supporter of combustion. The stack of this generator is connected by a pipe 15 with the funnel 12, of the compressor, and in the pipe 15, a cut-off valve 16 is applied. Leading from the discharge side of the compressor is a pipe 17 which is connected with a receiver or tank 18 in which maybe compressed either extinguishing gas drawn in from the generator, or air drawn in from the funnel 12. The receiver is connected by means of a pipe 18, with the distributing manifold 7, and is also connected by pipe 19 with the exhaust manifold 9, a valve 20 being-applied to pipe 18 to control the communication. of the receiver with the distributing manifold, and a valve 21 being applied to pipe 19 to control the communication of the receiver with the exhaust manifold. The exhaust manifold is connected with the funnel 12 at a point beyond the connection of the generator therewith, by means of a pipe 22 having a controlling valve 23 applied thereto, and the exhaust manifold also communicates with the outside air which communication is controlled by a pressure to expel water which may have leaked into the compartment; or the gas may be circulated through the compartments, or

air may be circulated therethrough for displacin the gas and for ventilating purposes.

If it is desired for instance to introduce extinguishing gas into any particular compartment, say into compartment 3, the following adjustments of the several valves are made: I

Valve 16 is opened, valves 13 and 23 are closed, valve 21 is closed, valve 20 is opened, valve 8 of distributing pipe 5 of compartment 3 is opened and valve 10 of exhaust pipe 6 of compartment 3 is closed. The valves 8 of all of the other distributing pipes 5 are closed. The compressor 11 now being operated, it will act to draw in extinguishing gas from the generator, compress the same in the receiver 18, and the compressed gas will flow into compartment 3. 7

If, in order to insure the complete extinguishment of the fire in the compartment, it is desired to circulate the extinguishing gas therethrough entering by the distributing pipe and leaving by the exhaust pipe, then it will be necessary to open valve 10 of I the'exhaust pipe of the compartment being treated, open valve 23 and close valve 16. The circuit of the gas will now be through the compressor and tank and through pipe 5 to compartment 3 then out by exhaust pipe 6, into the exhaust manifold then through pipe 22 into "pipe 12, then to the intake side of the compressor and again to the compartment through the receiver and distributing manifold as before. The circulation of the extinguishing gas through these passages and the compartment will serve to cool the gases and compartment, and if necessary this cooling action may be augmented by means of a cooling coil 25 applied to the pipe 17 leading from the compressor to the recelver.

In order that after the fire has been completely extinguished by this procedure the gas may be expelled therefrom and air intro duced to ventilate the compartment, the following valve adjustments are made: valve 13 in the ventilator pipe 12 is opened, valve 23 closed, and valve 24, controlling the com-- munication of the exhaust manifold with the atmosphere, opened. The operation of the compressor will now draw in fresh air through pipe 12 and force the same into the compartment through distributing pipe 5 and this air will displace and force out the gas in the compartment through exhaustpipes 6, whence the gases and air will flow out through valve 24= to the outside air.

If it is desired to force air under pressure into the compartment to expel any water which may have leaked therein in the event of injury to a compartment, the following valve adjustments are made: Valve 13 in the ventilator pipe 12 is opened as before, valve 23 closed, valve 16 closed, valves 20 and 21 opened, valve 24 closed and valves 8 and 10 of the distributing and exhaust pipes of the compartment being treated, opened; All of.

the other valves of the distributing and exhaust pipes will be closed. Air will now be drawn in through the ventilator pipe 12 from the outside, will be compressed in the receiver,and the compressed air will pass out of the receiver through pipes 18 and 19, into the distributing and exhaust manifolds, whence it will enter the compartment through the distributing and. exhaust pipes. Instead of utilizing the exhaust manifold and pipe for introducing compressed air as just described, these may be cut out of the circuit, and the air introduced alone by the distributing pipe. If a number of compartments are injured and are to be treated simultaneously, then the valves 8 and 10 of the distributing and exhaust pipes of the other compartments will be opened to admit air thereto.

Provision is made, as by the form of valves 20 and 21 controlling the communication of the receiver respectively with the distributin and exhaust manifolds, to admit different predetermined pressures thereto so that different pressures may be admitted to adjoining compartments for the purpose of reinforcing the separating walls of said compartments. Such procedure would be desira'ble in cases where it would be necessary to introduce into an injured compartment, a higher pressure than the wall could stand without strain or danger of rupture, and in such a case by subjecting the wall of the compartment on one side to a counter-pressure, the higher pressure acting on the other side would be counteracted and the wall would in this way be protected from injury.

By means of the apparatus above described which would be incorporated as a permanent part of the equipment of a vessel, any one or a number of, or any combination of the compartments could be treated as above explained, so that the vessel would be effectively protected against fire, and also danger from sinking in case of the leaking through the wall of an injured compartment of the outside water.

If desirable, the extinguishing gas drawn in from the generator and delivered to the receiver, may in its passage into the distrib uting pipes, be enriched by mixing with the same, carbon tetrachlorid which may be stored in a tank 25 situated adjacent the receiver and connected with the pipe 18 by a valved pipe connection 26.

it will be understood that the invention is,

not limited to any particular form or construction or relation of the parts except in so tar as such limitations are specified in the cl Having thus described my invention what l claim is:

1. ln combination with a compartment, a

' compressor, a source of extinguishing gas, a

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valved connection between the latter and intake side of the compressor, a valved dis tributing pipe connected with the discharge side of the compressor and communicating with the coartment, a valved e'aust pipe leading from the compartment and connected with the discharge side of the compressor, said eaust pipe communicating also with the atmosphere, a valve controlling said counication, and a valved connection betwsaid exhaust take side at the compressor. r

2. ln combination wi a plurality of compartments, a compressor, a generator, a valv connection between the generator and intalre side of the comressor, a distributing manifold provided wi 1 valved branch pipes mtive comrtments, a

lttitdllllg b0 lllltt w pipe and the in-v with the outside air, a valve for control w said communication, valved branch pipes leading from the exhaust ifold to the compartments, a valved connection between the exhaust manifold and the discharge side dill of the compressor, and a valved connection between the exhaust manifold and the intake side of the compressor.

3. ln an apparatus of the t descri, the combination of a compartment, a compressor, a source of a connection between the latter and int e side at the compressor, a distributing pipe connected with the discharge side of the compressor, 'and leading to the compartment, an exhaust pipe also connected with the discharge side of the compressor, and leading to the compartment, said exhaust pipe being in communication with the atmosphere and with the intake side of the compressor, and valves .so dis s'ed in said pipes and connectionsthat either extmguishmg gas or air may be introduced at will into the compartment, or either air or gas may be circulated at will therethrough. r

In testimony whereof l have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses 'wiimor worurrsroan;

' Witnesses:

Lmmn Vn,

C. C. H. 

